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Renormalized Mechanics and Stochastic Thermodynamics of Growing Vesicles

Jordan L. Shivers1,2, Michael Nguyen1,2, Aaron R. Dinner1,2, Petia M. Vlahovska3, and Suriyanarayanan Vaikuntanathan1,2,*

  • *Contact author: svaikunt@uchicago.edu
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PRX Life 4, 013012 – Published 30 January, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/qxn3-xx5n

Abstract

Uncovering the rules governing the nonequilibrium dynamics of the membranes that define biological cells is of central importance to understanding the physics of living systems. We theoretically and computationally investigate the behavior of flexible quasispherical vesicles that exchange membrane constituents, internal volume, and heat with an external reservoir. The excess chemical potential and osmotic pressure difference imposed by the reservoir act as generalized thermodynamic driving forces that modulate vesicle morphology. We show that the renormalization of membrane mechanical properties by nonequilibrium driving gives rise to a morphological transition between a weakly driven regime, in which growing vesicles remain quasispherical, and a strongly driven regime, in which vesicles accommodate rapid membrane uptake by developing surface wrinkles. Additionally, we propose a minimal vesicle growth-shape law, derived using insights from stochastic thermodynamics, that robustly describes vesicle growth dynamics even in strongly driven, far-from-equilibrium regimes.

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PRX Life 4, 013012– Published 30 January, 2026
  • Received 28 May 2025
  • Accepted 19 November 2025
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